'Burg's Meeker to walk on, play for Kentucky football

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Individuals who act justly, are faithful, walk humbly and work hard are people who deserve terrific opportunities in life.

Wheelersburg’s Ryan Meeker certainly is a terrific talent who has acted justly, walked humbly and is a faithful individual who has tried his best to represent his community in a manner that he believes would make them proud.

Meeker has improved his game from a promising offensive lineman with potential to a senior captain who, as an individual who was honored as the best lineman in both the SOC II and the Southeast District, helped Wheelersburg take a step forward and back into state championship contention as a result.

In doing so, Meeker also received interest well beyond the local realm to move to the next level of college football.

And as a result, Meeker is going to get to enjoy a rare opportunity — one that includes a chance to play football at the NCAA Division I level.

The 6-3, 265-pound lineman, who helped lead the Pirates to its second OHSAA Division V State Championship berth in the last eight years this past fall and a OHSAA State Runner-Up finish as a centerpiece for the team at both center and nose guard, earned a preferred walk-on opportunity with the University of Kentucky. Meeker officially made his intentions to play for the Kentucky football program public on Thursday evening with a ceremony at Wheelersburg High School.

“Being able to play for something greater than myself, especially with a school like Kentucky, is just really, really special,” Meeker said. “I want to prove to my family, friends and the community of Wheelersburg that it’s possible to come from a small town and be great.”

Meeker, who began playing football in the fourth grade, fell in love with the sport right away. Outside of a two-week setback with COVID in the seventh grade, he says, it’s been full-steam ahead ever since in the sport.

Over his three seasons seeing significant time for the Pirates on the football field, Meeker helped Wheelersburg three-peat as SOC II Champions en route to helping Rob Woodward’s program go 32-10 with three consecutive appearances in the OHSAA Division V Regional Championship Game. Counting his freshman season, Meeker helped Wheelersburg go 41-14 in his four seasons.

In leading Wheelersburg back to the OHSAA Division V State Semifinals for the first time since 2018 and then the program’s first OHSAA Division V State Championship Game berth since 2017, Meeker enjoyed a terrific season personally.

At center, Meeker led an offensive line that paved the way for a Wheelersburg offense that garnered 4,484 yards of total offense and 60 touchdowns in 15 games.

Wheelersburg ultimately averaged 298.9 yards of total offense per game and outscored opponents by a plus-25.6 margin in 2025.

“We had one goal throughout the offseason, and that was to do better than we have,” Meeker said. “We’ve fallen short the past three years, so we just wanted to keep pushing and get better every day.”

For his efforts in guiding the Pirates to the state championship game, Meeker, even prior to fully completing that run, was named as a First-Team All-Southeast District honoree, the Ohio Prep Sports Media Association’s (OPSMA) Division V Offensive Lineman of the Year, and a First-Team All-Ohio honoree.

By being named First-Team All-Ohio, Meeker is one of 52 individuals in Wheelersburg football history to have been named as a First-Team All-Ohio honoree.

Meeker says that his development in the game of football is a credit to the Wheelersburg coaching staff. Rob Woodward and the Wheelersburg coaching staff was named the 2025 OHSAA Division V Coach and Staff of the Year for their work and accomplishments.

“I decided to just stay with football and focus on it, and it ended up working out,” Meeker said. “I grew so much as a person. My coaches taught me how to act, not just play football. They taught me to respect the opponents we’re facing as well as the game and earn what you work for. It’s more than the sport. It’s just how life is.”

Having spent numerous hours with fellow teammates and co-captains Ison Emnett, Elijah Brown and Hunter Henderson, along with others such as Braylon Rucker, Kenyon Evans and Landon McGraw, Meeker says that the tight-knit bond between the entire senior class is what helped Wheelersburg win 74.5 percent of its contests over a four-year period — and is also what helped the entire group contribute early on.

“This senior class is the closest class that I’ve ever seen,” Meeker said. “We have come together, and it’s been like one mind in coming together. I wouldn’t want to do any of this with anybody else. They’re great. I’ve grown up with them my whole life, and they’re like brothers to me. It’s been great.”

Meeker, who talked with Kentucky offensive assistant, NFL liaison and director of high school relations Mark Perry over the winter, ultimately established a strong rapport with Perry.

The film that was displayed to the Kentucky coaching staff, collectively, led to Meeker getting his opportunity to play football at the highest level of collegiate athletics. Meeker will play at center for Kentucky in the fall to start, and could even be switched to the defensive side of the ball if need be.

“(Mark) Perry came down, and we had a good talk,” Meeker said. “We texted after that, and he and some members of the coaching staff watched my film and said that they loved it. They showed it to the Kentucky offensive line coach, (Cutter Leftwich), he said that he loved it, and it’s been back-and-forth ever since. I’ve went down there two times now, and I’ve absolutely loved it every single time.”

Kentucky will also be starting a new era for the first time in 2026 after moving on from longtime head coach Mark Stoops — a graduate of the very school that Wheelersburg beat in the OHSAA Division V State Semifinals in Youngstown Cardinal Mooney.

The Wildcats ultimately hired former Louisville quarterback Will Stein, who will be in his first season as head coach after helping Oregon go 38-5 overall in his three seasons as the Ducks’ offensive coordinator. Oregon finished in the top-six nationally in the AP Poll and the top-seven over the past three seasons, and finished no worse than fourth in either poll in both 2024 and 2025.

“I see a lot of energy and tons of knowledge being shared,” Meeker said. “It’s not just a bunch of guys that like football — they know football, and they’re going to coach it the right way. It’s going to be good.”

At Kentucky, Meeker is planning to major in either engineering or construction management. The position that he says that he’s in — to both pursue an education and fight for a spot on a NCAA Division I FBS roster at the Power Four level — is one that he credits the Pirate community for providing him.

“Wheelersburg’s like no other,” Meeker said. “They say that it takes a village, and at Wheelersburg, everyone is there every day just supporting and helping when they can. Honestly, I wouldn’t be here without them. The support has been incredible.”

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